This invention relates to a kit for enclosing a small planted area including gardens and the like for protection against the surrounding climate including frost and the like.
Climatic conditions including frost, heavy rain and hail are known to damage garden plants including flowered plants and vegetable or fruit bearing plants. It is thus desirable to protect these types of plants by surrounding the plants individually or an entire planted area using sheets of material formed of plastic or cloth materials. Typically the process of covering plants involves an awkward manipulation of stakes to be planted into the ground and sheet of material such as bed sheets and the like which must be tied down over the plants and the stakes to form an enclosure about the plants.
Various covers are described in the following U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,373 to Vollebregt, U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,088 to Henningsson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,554 to Wang, U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,396 to Traut, U.S. Pat. No. 3,581,436 to Basiger, U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,298 to Lin and U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,568 to Dukes. None of these covers however are suitably arranged to readily enclose a small planted area for effective protection against frost and the like.
According to the present invention there is provided a garden enclosure kit for protecting a planted area from a surrounding climate, the kit comprising:
a frame structure arranged to be supported on the ground adjacent the planted area;
a roller arranged to be selectively coupled to the frame structure for rotation about an axis of the roller;
an elongate main sheet arranged to extend in a longitudinal direction of the main sheet from a coupled end to a free end of the main sheet;
the coupled end of the main sheet being arranged to be coupled to the roller for rolling the main sheet onto the roller in a stored position;
the free end of the main sheet being arranged to be selectively coupled to the frame structure at a location spaced from the roller in an extended position for defining a cover extending over the planted area between the roller and the free end of the main sheet; and
a plurality of side sheets arranged to be suspended from respective sides of the main sheet in the extended position for defining an enclosure over the planted area.
The main sheet and the side sheets suspended therefrom are arranged to fully enclose a planted area for protecting gardens and the like from frost and other damaging weather. The use of side sheets are particularly useful when protecting small gardens as the use of only a cover in such instances does not provide sufficient protection from frost by itself. The further arrangement wherein the roller housing and sheet are only selectively coupled to frame structure permit the roller housing and sheet to be readily removed or installed while the frame structure may remain planted in the ground.
The main sheet preferably spans laterally between respective first and second sides thereof and the side sheets preferably comprise first and second side sheets coupled to the respective first and second sides of the main sheet. The first and second side sheets may be foldable relative to the main sheet between a folded position in which the side sheets extend laterally inwardly from the respective sides of the main sheet substantially parallel and adjacent to the main sheet and an extended position in which the side sheets are suspended from the sides of the main sheet for defining respective sides of the enclosure extending over the planted area when the roller and the free end of the main sheet are supported on the frame structure.
There may be provided a plurality of slots in the respective side sheets extending laterally outward at longitudinally spaced position therealong. The side sheets preferably extend laterally outward a distance approximately equal to a width of the main sheet.
The main sheet and the side sheets are preferably formed of a pliable weather resistant material. This may include a substantially waterproof material.
The roller preferably includes a biasing mechanism for urging the main sheet into a rolled position about the roller.
There may be provided an extension sheet extending longitudinally outward from the free end of the main sheet a distance approximately equal to a length of the side sheets. When there is provided a roller housing mounting the roller therein, an extension sheet may be mounted on the roller housing to extended outwardly therefrom a distance approximately equal to a length of the side sheets. The extension sheets are useful for providing ends to the enclosure over the planted area.
There may be provided a plurality of apertures in respective free ends of the side sheets for securing the side sheets adjacent the ground in the extended position.
There may be provided a plurality of ground penetrating stakes having respective retainer portions arranged to secure the respective side sheets adjacent the ground in the extended position.
There may be provided a plurality of fasteners secured to the respective free ends of the side sheets for securing the side sheets in the extended position.
The frame structure is preferably adjustable in height.
The frame may comprise a pair of spaced apart end support elements arranged to support the main sheet spanning therebetween. There may be provided any number of intermediate support elements at spaced apart locations between the end support elements as required to support the main sheet spanning therebetween.
Each support element may include a stabiliser element coupled thereto for engaging the ground adjacent the corresponding support element, the stabiliser element being supported on the corresponding support element for vertical sliding movement thereon for adjusting a relative height therebetween.
A roller mount is preferably mounted on the frame structure for supporting the roller thereon, the roller mount being slidable in relation to the frame structure in a vertical direction for adjusting a relative height therebetween.
The frame structure preferably includes a plurality of ground penetrating uprights arranged to be penetrated into the ground, each upright including a portion of increased dimension adjacent a top end thereof for receiving hammer blows thereon to assist in penetrating the corresponding upright into the ground.
The roller and the main sheet are preferably arranged to be selectively separable from the frame structure.
The frame structure may be formed of collapsible elements.